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The 2019 Regional Workforce Development Rankings

by MARK AREND

Show me a governor who doesn’t take advantage of every opportunity to invest in the next generation workforce in his or her state, and I’ll show you a state that won’t be competitive in a few years’ time. Every state has its own circumstances, of course, from population to ratio of urban to rural school systems to companies participating in apprenticeship programs and many other factors.

But as much as they have differences in demographic and educational attainment factors, they also have some things in common. They have legislatures that appropriate funds to education and workforce training programs, for example, and they have capital investors kicking the tires of their state to assess labor and skills supply in case their business model requires a new location there.

Rather than rank specific state workforce training programs or STEM initiatives across the country or even across a region, Site Selection looks regionally at the state contexts in which such programs are applied. Is there a culture of proactivity, a leader-of-the-pack emphasis on getting graduates to work in in-demand industries and occupations? On skills credentialing? The states with that kind of focus on workforce will be the states with the individually branded programs that work, and that companies notice.

Ranking components here are: (1) CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business 2018 Workforce and Education sub-ranking; (2) Forbes’ Best States for Business 2018 Labor Supply sub-ranking; (3) U.S. News’ 2018 Best States for Education rankings; (4) ACT National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) Rankings; and (5) average number of workforce development enactments passed in state legislatures (most recent data).

Northeast

2017

2018

Massachusetts

1

1

New Hampshire

2

2

New York

5

3

Pennsylvania

7

4

Vermont

8

5

Connecticut

3

T6

New Jersey

4

T6

Rhode Island

6

8

Maine

9

9

East North Central

2017

2018

Michigan

3

1

Indiana

4

T2

Wisconsin

2

T2

Ohio

5

4

Illinois

1

5

Atlantic

2017

2018

Virginia

1

1

Georgia

3

2

North Carolina

4

3

Florida

5

4

Maryland

2

5

South Carolina

7

6

Delaware

6

7

West Virginia

8

8

South Central

2017

2018

Tennessee

3

1

Oklahoma

2

2

Alabama

7

T3

Kentucky

5

T3

Texas

1

T3

Arkansas

4

6

Louisiana

6

7

Mississippi

8

8

Mountain

2017

2018

Colorado

1

1

Utah

2

2

Idaho

6

3

Arizona

3

4

Nevada

8

T5

Wyoming

4

T5

New Mexico

7

7

Montana

5

8

Pacific

2017

2018

Oregon

3

1

Washington

2

2

California

1

3

Hawaii

4

4

Alaska

5

5

West North Central

2017

2018

Iowa

1

1

Minnesota

3

2

Nebraska

5

3

South Dakota

7

4

North Dakota

6

5

Missouri

4

6

Kansas

2

7

Industry 4.0 and the Future of Work

by DEBRA LYONS

Did you know we are in the fourth Industrial Revolution? Somewhere around 2013, we moved from industrial systems driven by computers and automation to cyber-physical systems defined by artificial intelligence, miniaturized high-speed computing and big data all wrapped in a wireless networking cloud interfacing with a geophysical world. A simple example is the automated control of smart appliances networked to power companies to create greater energy efficiencies. A manufacturing example is smart factories automatically adjusting production to improve efficiencies, provide greater customization and reduce operating cost while mitigating negative environmental impact.

The hottest topic right now in the workforce development world is the future of work. How will jobs be impacted by the high-speed pace of technology? And how will we prepare this future workforce?

Until recently, future-of-work discussions revolved around artificial intelligence replacing humans at work. But if that were the case, why are we still seeing a skills gap predicted well into the future? New thinking on this topic now shows that jobs are not necessarily disappearing — but they are being augmented by technology. This thinking is putting a new lens on talent preparation.

Survey data recently published by the World Economic Forum shows that many job skills will be augmented by technology in the next five years — but to varying degrees. Skills like reasoning and decision-making; coordinating, developing, managing and advising; and communicating and interacting will be augmented by technology — but to a much lower degree than job skills like information and data processing.

The impact of Industry 4.0 is shifting the type and priority of job skills valued by employers in the next five years. Industry leaders are citing analytical thinking, innovation, active learning, technical design and systems analysis as in-demand skills.

Community preparation should include a strategic workforce development plan that addresses the impact of Industry 4.0 on jobs with a focus on developing problem-solving skills, digital acumen, systems learning, leadership skills and life-long learning proficiency. With workforce demographics that show as many workers will be over 40 as under 40 continuing well into the future, retraining of the current workforce should also be a part of the plan. And the measures of success must be able to affirm that the workforce has these skills and is prepared to fill these future jobs. Is your community ready?

Mark ArendEditor in Chief of Site Selection magazine

Mark Arend has been editor in chief of Site Selection magazine since 2001. Prior to joining the editorial staff in 1997, he worked for 10 years in New York City at Wall Street Computer Review, ABA Banking Journal and Global Investment Technology. Mark graduated from the University of Hartford (Conn.) in 1985 and lives near Atlanta, Georgia.